E-books

Restoring Greatness to Utah (2014)

Utah’s main population corridor, the Wasatch Front, could more properly be called the Wasatch Oasis, a land of lakes as much as mountains. But Utahns have largely turned their backs on the history and ecology of Utah Lake and Great Salt Lake, not to mention the geoheritage of ancestral Lake Bonneville. The valleys below the ancient shorelines have become showcases for improvident land use. Utah’s strong sense of place lacks a complementary ethic of place. In a long-form illustrated essay—a sort of manifesto—I describe a once-and-future Salt Lake City affiliated with its namesake lake. I argue that Utahns will become better stewards of historic landscapes as well as better builders of urban habitats if they work from the bottom up, and turn from the lofty to the lowly. Historic maps, documentary photographs, and artistic imagery accompany my 12,000-word essay—a couple hours’ worth of reading. Freely available for downloading in two formats: PDF and iBooks (for iOS devices).

The Image of Mormons: A Sourcebook for Teachers and Students (2013)

A visual anthology of 700+ depictions of Latter-day Saints, including historic anti-Mormon propaganda as well as more recent public relations images promulgated by the LDS Church. Other than headings and citations, this curated picture book (freely available in PDF format) contains practically no text. It was designed so that teachers can easily extract material for lectures and primary source assignments.

Mormons in the Media, 1830–2012 (2012)

My outline history of Mormonism from the “Restoration” by Joseph Smith to the “Mormon Moment” starring Mitt Romney, with special attention given to Utah Mormons in the U.S. public sphere. Written for a general audience, this e-book includes more than 500 illustrations. Available in PDF and iBooks formats. (To learn about the origin of this project, read this Q&A.)